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Old 12-18-2013, 02:29 PM   #15
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I doubt if most of the filters mentioned here are even close to being able to filter out bacteria, let alone a virus-type diesease. Filters can remove some chemicals, but need to be ultra, ultra fine to do much about even the largest bacteria.

As someone said, most campground supplies get checked regularly for chlorine content and periodically for various contaminants & germs. How often depends on local health authorities, but most are pretty strict these days.

If in doubt about the campground supply, you can always run from your fresh tank and add a few drops of chlorine to each refill.
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Old 12-18-2013, 02:44 PM   #16
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Pretty scarry stuff

We sanitize our water system twice a year with the bleach method. We change the inlet water filter and the faucet filter we use for drinking in the process. After reading several articles about the lack of regulation of the bottled water industry, I think we'll stick with the 'plan'.

What scares me more than the threat of Legionnaires, comes from the TOTALLY unsanitary practices we've seen used by more than a few of our fellow campers. Come on now, we've all seen 'em. The first thing I do when hooking up is drag out the bacterial spray and soak down the entire water supply faucet and let it work it's magic while I hook up the power and the stinky slinky. Then I let the water run for about a minute. After we leave the campsite, I soak it down for the next camper...sanitized for your protection.

Snafus observed, but not limited to : Rinsing the slinky out with it's end OVER the fresh water supply faucet... Back flushing their black water tank with the fresh water hose.. Rinsing the slinky out with the hose down inside the slinky... changing the fittings on their slinky on the picnic table on the empty campsite next door, then using the same gloves to hook up/disconnect the fresh water hose for a quick clean up...I could go on, but you get the picture. Hell, I've had campers bring Fido over to pee on my inlet water filter and faucet while I was in another compartment. Oh, one more classic...guy fills his fresh water tank with the 'Water For Flushing ONLY' hose that was lying in the dump trough at the dump station.(let me rent THAT one!)

Believe me, Legionnaires is probably NOT going to be the worse threat to your health.
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Old 12-18-2013, 03:44 PM   #17
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If you sanatized your system and if you occasionally hook up to genuine CITY water to keep it sanatized,, Odds are Legioneers will not be an issue.

Every case of Legioneers I have heard of the water was re-circuilated thousands of times through an air conditioning system, it was not replaced often as is the water in your RV but stayed in the loop for months on end..

OF course,, That is only the cases I have heard of.
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Old 12-19-2013, 07:56 AM   #18
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Man, that's SCARY! I'm one of those who have never sanitized my freshwater tank. What is the recommended procedure on a Class A MH?
Thanks!
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Old 12-19-2013, 08:10 AM   #19
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I sanitize my water system once a year. But I also have an RO system so we're always using pure water, plus I replace the 4 filters on it twice a year. I also have a filter in the wet bay on the water intake that's in a clear filter holder so I can see what's coming into the coach. I've been in a few places where I've forgotten to run the water awhile before hooking up, and that outside filter would get pretty dirty quick. I don't like taking chances with what I'm drinking.
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Old 12-19-2013, 10:34 AM   #20
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We use our fresh water tank almost exclusively and drink the tap water where ever we are located. No problems ever. Unless you are using well water, municipalities provide chlorinated water which is much more highly regulated than bottled water. Look on some of those bottled waters and you will find that they are just tap water that has been filtered. You can do that where ever you are at. So much waste with all those plastic bottles.
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Old 12-19-2013, 12:29 PM   #21
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The study cites the case of a 50 year old man. He was a smoker and already had a compromised pulmonary system. The study say the bacteria is found in 11-32% of potable water supplies and it says that they found the bacteria in 20% of 20 RVs tested. 20 RVs is way too small a sampling size for a study like this and it's not out of proportion to the potable water supplies they referred to. I don't see where the authors are MDs or health care professionals. I don't put much credence in this study and think it's maybe even somewhat irresponsible.

The legionella bacteria is found in lakes, rivers, and even potting soil. It's all around us in everyday life. It's more common in complex water systems which RVs do not have. It's more common in systems with lime scale buildup, sludge, rust, and algae which RVs do not have, and it's more common in holding tanks with elevated temps. (68 - 133F) for long periods which RVs don't have.

You can have no or mild symptoms. You are more likely to have severe symptoms if you have a compromised immune system, cancer, a number of medical conditions or are over the age of 50. You have to ingest the bacteria and it can't be spread from person to person.

If it were a real concern in RVs, you'd be more likely to ingest infected water from showers, not from drinking it. You don't hear about RVers getting sick from showering. It's not going to be a problem with city water, it would be holding tanks. Regular treatment with chlorine and flushing is probably the thing to do. A water filter like a Pentek FloPlus-10 would be a good choice to remove some of the nasty stuff that can be in water, but if you want to kill bacteria, you'd need a UV or RO system.

People drink well water all the time. I drink our well water every day and it also has a pressure tank which the water can sit in for days if we're not home. You don't hear about homeowners with private wells and water distribution systems getting Legionaires disease.

As far as I am concerned, it's a very low risk in RV systems, but I'm not a health care professional. If it were a concern in RVs, a LOT of RVers would be getting sick and you'd be hearing about it all over the place and you'd expect to have the CDC and various health care system bodies and professionals involved.

I've made it to the ripe old age of 60 and still going strong. I'm not a germaphobe and am not going to worry about getting sick from water in our RV.
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Old 12-19-2013, 12:37 PM   #22
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Last summer I read an article about over the road truck drivers getting it from the windshield washer if using plain water, the reservoir was exposed to engine heat and that encourages bacteria growth. The mist from the washer system could be inhaled(and was),simply by using the washer system to clean the windshield and being exposed to the vapor thru an open window or vent. Kinda scary,not something I would have ever thought of.
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Old 12-19-2013, 12:44 PM   #23
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??? Did anyone Google Legionnaires Disease? The Mayo Clinic says it's an INHALED disease so first question would be how to inhale water. Don't they call that drowning???
The bacteria become airborne from mist created when you shower.
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Old 12-19-2013, 03:24 PM   #24
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My cousin got it from a older motel from there well water, from the shower . It was near Bandera Texas
He was in the hospital about a week
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Old 12-19-2013, 03:58 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by MSHappyCampers View Post
Man, that's SCARY! I'm one of those who have never sanitized my freshwater tank. What is the recommended procedure on a Class A MH?
Thanks!
Joe, there are a couple of excellent "how to" videos on YouTube.
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Old 12-19-2013, 04:18 PM   #26
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The study cites the case of a 50 year old man. He was a smoker and already had a compromised pulmonary system. The study say the bacteria is found in 11-32% of potable water supplies and it says that they found the bacteria in 20% of 20 RVs tested. 20 RVs is way too small a sampling size for a study like this and it's not out of proportion to the potable water supplies they referred to. I don't see where the authors are MDs or health care professionals. I don't put much credence in this study and think it's maybe even somewhat irresponsible.

The legionella bacteria is found in lakes, rivers, and even potting soil. It's all around us in everyday life. It's more common in complex water systems which RVs do not have. It's more common in systems with lime scale buildup, sludge, rust, and algae which RVs do not have, and it's more common in holding tanks with elevated temps. (68 - 133F) for long periods which RVs don't have.

You can have no or mild symptoms. You are more likely to have severe symptoms if you have a compromised immune system, cancer, a number of medical conditions or are over the age of 50. You have to ingest the bacteria and it can't be spread from person to person.

If it were a real concern in RVs, you'd be more likely to ingest infected water from showers, not from drinking it. You don't hear about RVers getting sick from showering. It's not going to be a problem with city water, it would be holding tanks. Regular treatment with chlorine and flushing is probably the thing to do. A water filter like a Pentek FloPlus-10 would be a good choice to remove some of the nasty stuff that can be in water, but if you want to kill bacteria, you'd need a UV or RO system.

People drink well water all the time. I drink our well water every day and it also has a pressure tank which the water can sit in for days if we're not home. You don't hear about homeowners with private wells and water distribution systems getting Legionaires disease.

As far as I am concerned, it's a very low risk in RV systems, but I'm not a health care professional. If it were a concern in RVs, a LOT of RVers would be getting sick and you'd be hearing about it all over the place and you'd expect to have the CDC and various health care system bodies and professionals involved.

I've made it to the ripe old age of 60 and still going strong. I'm not a germaphobe and am not going to worry about getting sick from water in our RV.
Great info! Thanks for posting.
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Old 12-19-2013, 04:23 PM   #27
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??? Did anyone Google Legionnaires Disease? The Mayo Clinic says it's an INHALED disease so first question would be how to inhale water. Don't they call that drowning???
Very good point!
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